


We Don’t Trade Lives

by seibelsays



Series: Victorious [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 20:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14922456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seibelsays/pseuds/seibelsays
Summary: Bucky, Darcy, and Jane right a wrong.





	We Don’t Trade Lives

**Author's Note:**

> You didn’t really think I’d leave things as they ended in At What Cost, did you?

“Hey, remember that time we met and you asked me if I wanted to deface a Smithsonian exhibit?”

Bucky smiled sadly at his soulmate. “Yeah.”

“I didn’t think we’d end up actually doing it.”

“Well, I prefer to be a man of my word these days.”

Darcy halfheartedly glared at him. He grinned. “How’d you manage to get us in here anyway?”

Darcy’s glare shifted to a smirk. “I got Ross indicted - you really think I can’t get after hours access to the Smithsonian?”

“Have I mentioned recently that I love you?” 

“Recently as in the last five minutes?” She leaned in a gave him a kiss. “Yeah, you have, actually.”

“Just want to make sure my girl knows she’s appreciated.”

“Okay, I think we’re all set,” Jane said from behind the massive machine they’d silently moved into the center of the Captain America exhibit of the Smithsonian. They’d had to dismantle about six different exhibits to do it, but Bucky hadn’t been all that upset about it. He’d taken a special glee in completely destroying his own memorial.

(“They got everything wrong anyway,” he’d muttered.)

Darcy squeezed his hand. “Ready for this? We’ll have to move fast.”

Bucky nodded. He was more than ready. It had been over a year since Steve had sacrificed himself to save the universe and Bucky had had just about enough of life without his idiot chosen-brother, thank you very much. The universe could fuck right the hell off.

“When I give the signal, you’ll need to reach through and grab him after he closes the loop, but before the bubble collapses,” Jane reminded him. “You’ll have about 90 microseconds.”

He nodded again and adjusted his stance into a ready position near the spot on the floor Jane had indicated.

Darcy moved behind him and Bucky spun around. “Nope - other side of the hall.” He pointed to the far corner.

“No way.”

Bucky glared at her. “I will not risk your life, Darcy. Too much could go wrong.”

“Tough cookies. You think I like you risking your neck for this?”

“It’s different!”

“How?” she yelled incredulously.

“I can’t lose you!” Bucky yelled back. “I can take literally anything else. But I can’t lose you.”

“And you think I can lose you, you idiot?” Darcy’s face flushed with anger. Jane wandered away, pretending to read some of the exhibit pieces that littered the floor. “No way. I’m staying right here and you’re going to like it.”

“Then we’re not doing this.”

“Oh the hell we are!”

“Darcy,” Bucky whimpered softly. “Losing Steve was hard, yeah. I miss him. I would do almost anything to get him back.” He shook his head. “Risking your life - risking losing you - that’s not something I’m willing to do. Please don’t ask me to.”

Darcy reached out to stroke his face. “Then how can you ask me to?”

Bucky closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. “I’m not worth it, Darcy,” he said.

Darcy’s eyes lit up with absolute fury and she abruptly snatched her hand away from him. “Don’t,” she snapped. “Don’t you dare. That is my soulmate you are talking about and I won’t stand for it, do you understand me?”

Bucky deflated. “Okay, Darcy,” he replied softly. “Okay. Can you stand maybe a little further away? Still behind me, just...a few steps back at least?”

Darcy’s expression softened. “Yeah, Bucky. I can do that.” She reached out and tucked his hair behind his ear, then pulled him in for a kiss. “I love you, you idiot,” she whispered.

“I love you.”

Darcy nodded at him and then stepped back. When he motioned for her to take a few more steps back, Darcy rolled her eyes but did as he asked. 

Jane shouted from across the room. “You stopped shouting - either you’ve come to an agreement or one of you killed the other! Do I want to know which?”

“Let’s get this show on the road, Janey,” Darcy replied.

Jane hurried over to her machine and started flipping switches. A high-pitched whine echoed through the room as it powered up.

She held her hand over a button and looked to Bucky. “Ready?”

He adjusted his stance and nodded.

“Three...two...one...NOW!”

What looked like bolts of colorful lightning shot through the room. Bucky shoved his metal arm through the closest one, grabbed onto a solid mass on the other side and pulled.

The machine shut down with a bang just as Bucky pulled his hand back.

And then he collapsed under the weight of Steve Rogers, who fell on top of him.

“AGGGGGGGGGGggghhhhhhh!” Steve screamed holding his hands out in front of him in a defensive posture, although his voice trailed off as he unscrewed his eyes and looked around.

“What the hell?” he muttered.

“HOLY SHIT IT WORKED!” Darcy yelled.

“AGGGHH!” a startled Steve screamed in response. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Saving your stupid ass,” came Bucky’s muffled voice from underneath Steve’s bulk.

Steve jumped and flung himself away from Bucky.

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

“Captain Rogers -” Jane began.

“No no no no no! You can’t all be dead! I can’t have died for nothing AGAIN!”

“Steve!” Darcy yelled, to no effect.

“This isn’t happening,” Steve was starting to panic.

“Nobody died for nothing,” Bucky said in a commanding tone, claiming Steve’s attention. “You died to save the universe and we decided that was stupid on your part so we brought you back.”

Steve’s eyes finally focused on Bucky. “You what?”

“We brought you back,” Darcy repeated.

Steve looked from Bucky to Darcy and back again. “Oh thank god.” Steve collapsed backward onto the floor.

Jane tentatively removed her hands from her ears. “Are we done screaming?” she asked.

“I need a vacation,” Steve replied from the floor.

Bucky snorted and offered a hand to help him up, then pulled him into a bearhug. “Anything you want, pal. After the wedding.”

Steve slapped Bucky’s back a few times and then pulled away from the hug. “Wedding?”

“Bucky needs a best man, after all,” Darcy smirked and held up her left hand, her engagement ring glinting in the dim light.

Steve’s eyes widened at the sight and then pulled Bucky aside. “Buck, you’re not-”

“Waiting? No.”

“So she’s-”

“Hey Steve-o how come you never introduced me to my soulmate? You’d have had bragging rights forever. Now, I’m just never going to let you forget that you let us anguish in proximity for two years until we took matters into our own hands,” Darcy taunted from a few steps away.

“Holy shit. You two?” Steve grinned. “I’ll be damned.”

“They’re disgusting and perfect and I hate them,” Jane smiled as she started throwing things into her bag. “Also, I’m fairly certain I heard the alarm go off.”

“That’s our cue!” Darcy started running to throw random equipment into a bag.

Steve finally took a good look around to get his bearings. “Are we in a museum?”

“Darce, you said-”

“I said I had access, I never claimed it was of the legal variety.”

Bucky hung his head and Steve grinned. “You’re in so much trouble,” he laughed.

“Story of my life,” Bucky muttered. “Run!”


End file.
